Fungal infections in immune-compromised patients are an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Amphotericin B (Amp B) is considered a powerful fungicidal drug but its clinical usage has certain limitations when administered intravenously due to its toxicity and poor solubility. In consideration of such challenges, in cutaneous leishmaniasis, the topical application of Amp B can be a safer option in many aspects. Thus, herein, biopolymer of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) were developed with the loading of Amp B by nanoprecipitation for the treatment of topical leishmanial infections. Various parameters, such as concentration of PCL and surfactant Poloxamer 407, were varied in order to optimize the formation of nanoparticles for the loading of Amp B. The optimized formulation exhibited a mean hydrodynamic particle size of 183 nm with a spherical morphology and an encapsulation efficiency of 85%. The applications of various kinetic models reveal that drug release from nanoformulation follows Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetics and has a high diffusion exponent at a physiological pH of 7.4 as well a skin relevant pH = 5.5. The activity of the prepared nanoparticles was also demonstrated in Leishmania infected macrophages. The measured IC₅₀ of the prepared nanoparticle formulation was observed to be significantly lower when compared to control free Amp B and AmBisome^® for both L. tropica KWH23 and L. donovani amastigotes in order to demonstrate maximum parasite inhibition. The prepared topical nanoformulations are capable of providing novel options for the treatment of leishmaniasis, which can be possible after in vivo assays as well as the establishment of safety profiles.

Environmental concerns due to excessive use of synthetic or petroleum-based materials have encouraged scientists to develop novel, sustainable, and multifunctional material using abundant lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, a study was conducted on the isolation of cellulose from wheat straw using two different methods: acidified sodium chlorite and alkaline hydrogen peroxide. A comparative study was carried out based on the yield and properties of extracted cellulose. The final product (after treatments) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the identification of properties. Both the treatments isolated pure white color cellulose. However, the yield of cellulose isolated through acidified sodium chlorite treatment (81.4%) was higher than alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment (79%). Moreover, no huge difference was observed in the crystallinity and thermal properties of extracted cellulose.

Aminodextran (AMD) coated magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles are synthesized via electrostatic adsorption of aminodextran onto magnetic nanoparticles and their potential theranostic application is evaluated. The uncoated and aminodextran-coated nanoparticles are characterized to determine their hydrodynamic size, morphology, chemical composition, zeta potential and magnetization. The aminodextran containing cobalt ferrite nanoparticles of nanometer size are positively charged in the pH range from 3 to 9 and exhibit saturation magnetization of 50 emu/g. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicates capability for diagnostics and a reduction in intensity with an increase in nanoparticle amount. The hyperthermia capability of the prepared particles shows their potential to generate suitable local heat for therapeutic purposes. There is a rise of 7 °C and 9 °C at 327 kHz and 981 kHz respectively and specific absorption rates (SAR) of aminodextran-coated nanoparticles are calculated to be 259 W/g and 518 W/g at the given frequencies larger than uncoated nanoparticles (0.02 W/g). The development of novel aminodextran coated magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles has significant potential to enable and improve personalized therapy regimens, targeted cancer therapies and ultimately to overcome the prevalence of nonessential and overdosing of healthy tissues and organs.

The objective of the present study was to achieve the successful encapsulation of a therapeutic agent to achieve antifouling functionality regarding biomedical applications. Considering nanotechnology, drug-loaded polycaprolactone (PCL)-based nanoparticles were prepared using a nano-precipitation technique by optimizing various process parameters. The resultant nano-formulations were investigated for in vitro drug release and antifouling applications. The prepared particles were characterized in terms of surface morphology and surface properties. Optimized blank and drug-loaded nanoparticles had an average size of 200 nm and 216 nm, respectively, with associated charges of −16.8 mV and −11.2 mV. Studies of the in vitro release of drug were carried out, which showed sustained release at two different pH, 5.5 and 7.4 Antifouling activity was observed against two bacterial strains, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The zone of inhibition of the optimized polymeric drug-loaded nanoparticle F-25 against both strains were compared with the pure drug. The gradual pH-responsive release of antibiotics from the biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles could significantly increase the efficiency and pharmacokinetics of the drug as compared to the pure drug. The acquired data significantly noted that the resultant nano-encapsulation of antifouling functionality could be a promising candidate for topical drug delivery systems and skin applications.